Marlins catcher John Buck, the team’s union rep, and first baseman Gaby Sanchez spoke with Marlins beat writers at the team hotel in Philadelphia.

Buck said he thinks manager Ozzie Guillen’s five-game suspension for his Fidel Castro comments will actually bring the team closer together.

“Everybody in that clubhouse looks up to Ozzie and what he has done. You guys can feel the atmosphere that he has changed in the clubhouse and it has all been positive,” Buck said.
“Feeling for him and seeing how sincere, you can see how it has affected him the last couple of days, how sincere he really is. You don’t get Ozzie sincerely apologizing about anything. To see him affected this greatly and how bad it has hurt him, for him to say one thing and have it kind of get misinterpreted… that’s the part you feel for him. You see how hard it is to him.”

Guillen plans to return to Philadelphia to apologize to the players for the distraction he has caused.

“I don’t know if he needs to apologize to me,” Buck said.

“I know talking to him before, that’s not really what he meant. It happened. It came out. That’s the damaging part but I don’t think he intended to hurt anybody or intended to put on a front that he was supporting (Castro) at all.

“He doesn’t really need to apologize to me. But if he is apologizing for the circus that has gone on, what it has caused, then yeah.”

Buck said he and his teammates don’t think the suspension will be a distraction for the Marlins, who resume their series against the Phillies on Wednesday with bench coach Joey Cora as temporary manager.

“You saw how much Joey is involved with the everyday operations. (Ozzie) and Joey are pretty tightly-knitted to where stuff is run through him quite already The fact he won’t be there, that’s the only thing that’s (different). Baseball stuff I don’t think will change much,” Buck said

“That’s why he is a really good baseball manager, he sets it up that way. He has prepared us for a season. Mentally and physically, it’s kind of the fruits of his labor.”

Buck said he hopes Guillen’s apology puts an end the controversy – and that it doesn’t ignite again when the Marlins return home Friday to open their first homestand at Marlins Park against the Houston Astros.

“We’ll see how it plays out. Hopefully not. Hopefully what he has done today will help put a big band-aid on it. Hopefully.”

Buck said he was not surprised to see Guillen so contrite and sincere.

“You could sense it the last couple of days. It’s not just something that all of a sudden affected him. He is really affected by it and is hurt. What you saw on TV, that’s real.”

Most players watched the press conference on TV from their individual hotel rooms.

“It stinks that he has a give-game suspension, especially the way we are playing right now,” said Sanchez, whose father was born in Cuba.

“We are paying really good baseball. He was sincere in his apology. It was good to see him out there apologizing, trying to set everything straight.

“He looked very sincere to me,. We just have to move forward and keep going. We’ve just got to go out there and play baseball and have another good game against the Phillies and win.”

“Major League Baseball supports today’s decision by the Marlins to suspend Ozzie Guillen,” said Selig, who was at Marlins Park on Wednesday for its inaugural game.

“As I have often said, Baseball is a social institution with important social responsibilities. All of our 30 Clubs play significant roles within their local communities, and I expect those who represent Major League Baseball to act with the kind of respect and sensitivity that the game’s many cultures deserve.

“Mr. Guillen’s remarks, which were offensive to an important part of the Miami community and others throughout the world, have no place in our game.”